Oh Nichole, I can feel the heartache here. Dropping my son off at school for the first time was one of the hardest things I've had to do. This is a beautiful letter that shows the beauty of your daughter.

Nichole,
Tonight this post resonated with me. You feel this way even when your almost 16 year old walks out the door. With a tough night with thoughtless friends and a daughter who is so kind this post put into words how I will likely feel even when my babies are full grown adults. This parenting gig? It's for life. Thank you for expressing something so perfectly in a way I would never be able to.
Dana

Oh Nichole. Such a beautiful letter. It's so hard letting them go off and discover things for themselves, learning from people other than you (or close family), having a few hours separate of you doing their own thing – but we know it's necessary. Doesn't make it easier though. So my thoughts will be with you every Tuesday and Thursday. xo

Oh this is such a perfect letter, there are so many things we want other people to see and appreciate in our children as we do. I will be sending mine to preschool in the fall with the same pull in my heart. I'm coming to you for help because by then you will be a pro.

Oh Nic, that was simply so gorgeous, what a beautiful thing for Katie to fax years from now when she needs to be reminded about how much she's loved, how hard it is for us to let our children go somedays. Wow..your words always bring such tears to my eyes and fullness to my heart.
XOXO

Peggy

4:40 am, Jul 1, 2011

Beautiful post. I loved it. And I am so glad that you are letting Katie go to pre-school. Soon you will get a chuckle out of the fact that you will be referred to as "Katie's Mom" by other Moms.

Big hugs!! I know how you feel. It’s so hard to watch our babies grow up. I want nothing more than to keep them the sweet, chubby faced, innocent toddlers that let me snuggle them as I please.
I promise, the dropping off gets easier. And the time away makes the pick-up time so much more sweeter. There’s nothing greater than the happy look on your baby’s face when they see you in the doorway.

This post totally made me cry. Becuase I'm sending my Diego to preschool in the fall and I'm already choked up about it. The line that got me most of all was, "Though I know that Katie is just one of 10 children in your class, she is my only Katie." Such beautiful writing expressing what every mom feels as we have to leave our little ones for the first time.

mshalz

8:02 pm, Jul 1, 2011

This is so very sweet. My almost 3-year-old starts preschool in August. I just can't believe he will be three! It's bittersweet every time a birthday comes and goes. But mostly I'm just so proud of him. They just keep surprising us with how special they are, don't they?

Every parent feels that way about sending their child off to be cared for by someone else. No one does it as well as we do, but then again, that's the point. Katie is tougher than you think. You? You're a marshmallow. A very pretty marshmallow!

Lovely as always, Nichole. Simply lovely.
You articulated what all children need in SUCH a personal way.

Just imagine how much better the world would be if every child received those extra hugs of encouragement…

Deep breaths and extra hugs to you, too.
Katie's not the only one who can do ANYTHING she puts her mind to.

xo

thisismynewmoon

11:46 am, Jul 2, 2011

So nice, Nichole. I hope you actually gave her teachers this letter. There is nothing preschool teachers appreciate more. I am in a 2 year old class for the summer and I wish all of our parents had written similar letters. Entrusting their children to someone new must be so difficult.

multitaskingmumma

12:39 pm, Jul 3, 2011

Oh Nichole this is exactly how i felt the first day of day care.
I wanted the teachers to understand want a gift they were being given and that they needed to be extra careful with her.
This letter is beautiful and touching.

the only non-family place I have left Eddie is daycare. And she can't take him this fall and I am all sorts of nervous about leaving him somewhere he doesn't know anyone. He grew up with the kids at daycare. He started going when he was 2 months old. This letter is killing me. You have put into words what I have been denying. What I have been hiding from.

What a perfect picture of who she is. My son is starting preschool in September and part of me is so excited. I think he will love it and I think it will be good for him – a bit of structure, some new things to learn. I can't wait to hear him tell me about his mornings there. But I think when it comes time I will feel just like this. He went to a day camp today – 2 1/2 hours every morning this week – and I'm away from home so I spent all morning wonder how he would do when getting dropped off and whether he would like it. (He did.)

This post made me cry! My son is only 10 months old, but I already feel sad when I leave him with a babysitter. Your heart is so honest and kind.

pim

6:41 pm, Sep 10, 2013

This wad so touching. I’ve been a stay at home mom to my 4.5 and 1 year old boys since the first was born. Last week I started a job as a preschool teacher, and both boys are going to my school. That certainly takes some of the edge off but when hear my baby cry it’s so hard not to go in there and hold him, it breaks my heart because he’s to young to understand why I’m not there. My 4 year old loves school so much, he hardly even notices when I leave. I’m glad he’s happy but I miss my little boy clinging to my hand. And with the children in my room I remind myself through the day that they are each someones whole world. It’s easy to get frustrated when they don’t do what I need them to, but I take care to always treat them as I want my sons to be treated. I love my kids. My own, and the ones in my class.